NC Storm: Southpoint mall, other locations open to shelter the stranded

[supernova]

WRAL has posted a list of shelters by county if anyone needs it. Please distribute freely:

Public shelters opened across central North Carolina on Wednesday to provide a warm place for residents who are unable to weather the winter storm in their homes.

Volunteers said anyone planning to go to a shelter should make sure to bring essential items, including identification; presciptions and special needs items for children and elderly family members; extra clothes, pillows, blankets and hygiene supplies; and foods that meet dietary restrictions.

The following is a list available shelters by county:

Cumberland County

Fayetteville – Smith Recreation Center, 1520 Slater Ave. Call 433-1571.

Durham County

The Streets of Southpoint has opened it’s doors to take in people stuck on Interstate 40. Drivers can stay inside the mall as long as is necessary, a spokesman said.

Complete list: http://www.wral.com/shelters-open-across-central-nc/13384437/

[redstatebluegirl]

1. And the homeless?

[supernova]

2. I'm sure the same services

that were available before the storm are still there plus the addition of the ones on this list.

No one needs to be out in this weather, but sadly, there are probably some people who are.

[marions ghost]

3. Looks like heavy congestion on I-40 and I-85

in Raleigh-Durham and over to Greensboro, also north to VA --at 9 pm.

DOT map: Go to the map and put I-40 or I-85 in where it says "Route"--Red line indicates current congestion. You can zoom in to see each lane:

http://www.ncdot.gov/traffictravel/




This picture from earlier near Raleigh:

[marions ghost]

4. This update at 10 pm:

http://www.cnn.com/2014/02/12/us/winter-weather/

Half a million now without power.



In North Carolina, Kim Martin Rehberg's typical 25-minute commute was turning into an hours-long ordeal Wednesday as she tried to make it from her office in Durham to her home in Raleigh.

Three hours later, she still had miles to go. So, too, did the rest of her family who were stuck in traffic across the region.

"My daughter was stranded trying to get from her gymnastics class in Apex. My ex-husband is trying to get her and he got trapped," she said by telephone, referring to a Raleigh suburb.

"My husband is in Charlotte and says things are bad. All the gas stations are shutting down, and I had trouble trying to gas up."

[marions ghost]

5. Here's another story:

http://ireport.cnn.com/docs/DOC-1083348?ref=feeds%2Ftopics%2Foncnn%2F1060026

CNN PRODUCER NOTE
Simsation told me, 'I work at UNC and we were given notification that offices were closed immediately. Shortly after that, I left to take my normal drive home. This is normally a 25 min drive that took me about four hours. There are several ironic things that happened during this trip. While I was trying to get home eastbound, my wife was trying to get home westbound. I received a call from her that the roads were terrible on her end as well. She mentioned there was a hill coming up soon and that she was worried since she drove a large vehicle. We communicated back and forth and eventually I saw a couple walking down the road clearing the snow from the windows of vehicles that were trying to get home. To me, it showed that there are still kindhearted people in the world even if there is a disaster. Shortly afterwards, my wife called as she tried to climb the hill. She walked me through the fact that a smaller car in front of her was getting stuck and eventually caused her to get stuck. I felt helpless as I listened to perfect strangers try to assist her as an ambulance began to slide towards her. Once again, there were more good samaritans. When I finally made it to my exit, I was able to pay it forward, I saw a lady walking and asked if she wanted a ride. Turned out, she really needed one. As we talked, we discovered we worked on the same campus and lived in the same nieghborhood. It was destiny for me to pick her up. We moved here from Grand Forks ND and were used to the snow. But being from GA, we have not seen anything on this side of the US like this.'
- hhanks, CNN iReport producer

[supernova]

6. UNCTV just posted on FB

that they are spending the night in the studio. I wrote to them, I hope you guys have cots and sleeping bags!

[marions ghost]

7. Good story in News & Observer this Thursday morning--some pix:

Story here:

http://www.newsobserver.com/2014/02/12/3614771/wake-johnston-chatham-schools.html









This guy's attire really sums up the average North Carolinian's attitude towards
winter = Denial and pushing the big old Crown Vic (or whatever it is...):

[marions ghost]

8. Other coverage:

http://www.nytimes.com/2014/02/13/us/winter-storm.html?hpw&rref=us&_r=0

http://www.npr.org/blogs/thetwo-way/2014/02/12/276160559/winter-storm-paralyzes-roads-in-north-carolina-despite-warnings

[marions ghost]

9. more pix

http://www.wral.com/weather/image_gallery/13386085/

Mini Cooper Sandwich (no injuries)! :


DENY DENY DENY....pig pickin must go on...